Sunday, May 31, 2015

Virtual
Reality is set to be big business in 2016. Potentially, it might even replace
the Video Game Consoles as the next generation Platform for playing high-end
immersive video games.

As is the case with any new technology, there
are rivalries being formed. In the development of Virtual Reality, it is no
different. There is a developing rivalry between Facebook, who purchased
Oculus, a VR Developer and HTC, a smartphone maker partnered with Valve, a
Cloud Gaming Developer.

The
video formats for 360-Degree Panoramic Videos have already been agreed upon and
are already in play, with Content being published by YouTube Video Developers,
albeit nothing particularly eye-catching has yet to be published.

What
is now needed is a breakout video that not only utilizes the technology to its
full potential but makes the connection as to how it can best be viewed using a
VR headset.

By
2016, one if not all of these VR and AR Developers will debut a game-changing
product in 2016. But even before that, there would have been Content online,
both in the form of Games as well as 360-Degree Panoramic Videos, guaranteeing
the success of VR and AR Headsets.

Amazon
has followed up with an update of their Amazon Fire Tablet line in 2014 that
has many Amazon Prime members spoilt for choice as reported in the article “Your handy Amazon
Kindle Fire cheatsheet”, published September 19, 2014 by Eric Franklin, CNET News. The Tablets in the 2014 line that
was released in September and October 2014 are as follows:

1.Kindle Fire HD6

2.Kindle Fire HD6

3.Kindle Fire HD Kids Edition

4.Kindle Fire HDX 7

5.Kindle Fire HDX 8.9

These
are all small form-factor Kindle Fires of varying Screen sized and prices as
listed in the table below.

So
it'll be interesting to see what Amazon has in store for their refresh of their
Amazon Kindle Fire line of Tablets in face of the declining interest in Name
brand Tablets, now perceived as being overpriced.

According
to GWI (Global Web Index) latest statistics, Facebook is being eclipsed by other
smaller more nimble Mobile Social Networks. Even some of their purchases are
doing between than the parent company. The graph below shows that the usage
numbers for Facebook on smartphones has been on the rise.

Instead,
Facebook has become more of a time filler, with 50% of Facebook 1.5 billion
month active users basic visiting merely out of boredom in a bid to entertain
themselves during a lull period or mere to avoid the FOMO (Fear of Missing
out). Based on the graph below, they’re still way ahead of the Mobile Social
Networks, despite their growing popularity.

Facebook Like Button –
Liking is not Engagement, unless it’s an interesting photo

The
Facebook Like Button is still fancied by many users of Facebook, being as its
quite simply the easiest action to execute on Facebook. More troubling is that
posting links for users to read is very low on the actions of visitors to
Facebook, as someone clicking that they like your post does not mean that they
read it.

From
my personal experience on Facebook, persons are more likely to make a comment,
the second favourite activity of Facebook users, if the post is an image or a
very interesting Video. Article posts are more likely to be read if the title
or comment in the post is salacious in nature and hinting at something that's
worth gossiping about.

This
is because most Teenagers (ages 1 to 17) no longer find Facebook as interesting
as it once was, preferring to hang out more in Groups than to look on posts on
another Facebook user’s profile.

Facebook isn’t Boring –
Mobile Social Network are for more private Groups of Friends

Others
Social Networks are filling that gap and help them to avoid the FOMO and are
great for keeping in touch with smaller groups of friends.

Thursday, May 28, 2015

“Global
trends show the growth in market demand for IMT­advanced (4G) services. This
trend and the response of manufacturers to develop standards which can provide
the services have contributed to the recommendation to exclusively designate
the band to accommodate mobile services......To meet this demand, service
providers require spectrum sufficient for the provision of islandwide services.
The technical characteristics of the AWS band make it an attractive option for
interested players”

Minister of Science,
Technology, Energy and Mining Phillip Paulwell commenting on LIME Jamaica part
payment for the AWS Spectrum band that they’ll use to provision 4G LTE

With
the full backing of CWC (Cable and Wireless Communications), the parts needed
to launch their 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) Networks are slowly falling into
place.

Telecom
Provider LIME is set to pay JA$1.3 billion (US$11.5 million) as part of the
license agreement to purchase the AWS (Advanced Wireless Services) spectrum to
launch their4GLTE Wireless Broadband Service as reported in the article “Spectrum Band Sold To LIME”,
Published Sunday April 19, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner.

This
isn't the full amount for the 24 MHz blocks of spectrum being purchased by
Telecom Provider LIME, as the total cost stands at JA$2.6 billion (US$23.1
million) for these blocks of AWS spectrum.

Additionally,
along with the total of JA$2.6 billion (US$23.1 million) which has to be paid,
there is also some outstanding licensing fees that both Telecom Providers owe
to the Government of Jamaica via the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy
and Mining as follows:

So
you see dear reader, we haven’t heard the last of this matter, as we’ll
possibly start hearing announcements about 4G LTE in the next few months
leading up to the end of 2015, when it’s widely expected that Both telecom
Providers will launch their respective 4G LTE Networks.

LIME going with the
FLOW – Call Center means 4G LTE to be launched in December 2015

Many
of the users of LIME 4G LTE Service will most likely be homeowners who need
Broadband access at their homes, with a few customers wanting Mobile 4G
Broadband.

Homeowners
are stationary, making it easy to establish line-of-sight with LIME's antennas
provisioned with 4G LTE in a manner similar to how Digicel's 4G Broadband based
on WiMaX works.

As
for mobile customers, their mobility and focus on using their various Apps on
their smartphones means that AWS spectrum can work for smartphones as well, as
the customer will most likely be standing still most of the time while on their
Tablets or smartphones.

So
with the name change and Call Center coming in December 2015, expect LIME
Jamaica to have a Christmas 2015 launch for their 4G LTE Network as well!

This
is in sharp contrast to Friday May 21st 2015, when an angry mob got upset that
PICA (Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency) has also set a quote of
1,000 applicants per day on Tuesday May 19th 2015. This anger can clearly be
seen in the video in the article “Video: Crush!”,
published Friday, May 22, 2015, The
Jamaica Observer.

Ministry of National
Security sets June 1st 2015 as new Deadline – MNP, 19 Cable TV missing and Zika Virus for the
Summer of 2015

The
Minister of National Security, Peter Bunting, who has oversight over PICA, has
now backtracked on the original Tuesday May 26th 2015 deadline after
these massive protests and crowds of Jamaican desperate to avoid the increases.

When
they decided which Caribbean country will get this 200 seat Call Center by July
2015, they'll start building the Call center by September 2015. Once built
(from scratch, what no rental?) operations will commence by the end of 2015 as
noted in the article “CWC
To Return LIME Call Centre Operations To The Caribbean”, Published Thursday
May 21, 2015 by Neville Graham, The
Jamaica Gleaner.

The
result?

A
net increase in employees, or at least, so says CWC Chief Executive Phil
Bentley, quote: “We will be a net increase employer across the Caribbean. I am
absolutely convinced that we will have a net employment increase across the
markets”.

So
is this call center justified, as they could have easily have moved it to
another Caribbean island with Call Center Facilities, like the Bahamas or St.
Lucia?

Many
customer have complained that the Spanish–speaking Call Center representatives
that they speak cannot break the language hurdle, as their Spanish accent is a
dead giveaway.

Still,
logically, for such a massive business as CWC, the mere complaints from the customers
at Jamaica cannot be the only and possibly the real reason for this decision.
What must really be happening is that there is some massive demand for Call Center
resources within LIME Jamaica’s Network.

Approved
on Monday April 20th 2015 by Minister of National Security Peter
Bunting, he had first announced his intention to upgrade the JCF Emergency 119 Service
in April 2014.

The
plans for the JCF Emergency 119 Service are quire elaborate and is intended to
transform the Service into a Real Time Emergency Call Centre, whatever that
means. The objectives give some clue as to what the Ministry of National
Security and the JCF are aiming for with the Real Time Emergency Call Centre
concept:

1.Process Emails

2.Notifications

3.Social media Posts

4.Phone calls

5.Instant Messaging

So
the Jamaica Constabulary force is basically getting a standard Call Center, similar
to the ones I’ve worked in before. As for the Call Center Agents, they most
likely will not be Jamaican Police but Jamaican Call Center Workers employed by
LIME Jamaica!

LIME Jamaica building
the JCF’s Real Time Emergency Call Centre – LIME goes with the FLOW back to BPO

Based
on the JA$464 million (US$4 million), it suggest that they're not really going
to build a Call Center separate for the JCF. Rather, LIME 200 seater Call
Center will actually cost JA$464 million (US$4 million) and will have a section
dedicated to handle the JCF Emergency 119 Service.

Hopefully
that means when I call the Jamaican Police they’ll come a lot quicker. On the
flip side, it’s a strong indication that Telecom Provider LIME is not just trying
to please customer, but also becoming a competitor in the BPO Industry once
more, with the JCF being their first client!